Street-sweeper



specification.

'quently scraped or swept by hand into piles,

\ the formation of mud, and too little water fails invented new and'useful Improvements in machines it becomes necessary to use sprink- `ment of extra machines and employs, in-

construction, arrangement, and operation of Nrrn., STATES .mines r. Hannon, on wAsHINGoN, msrnror or COLUMBIA.'

` STREET-SWEJEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming' partof Letters Fatent 1`\T0. 293,209, dated February 5, 1884.

` Applicationfiled July 27, 1883. (No model.)

Be it known that I, JAMES l?. HERRON, a citizen of the-United States, residing at lash-` ington city, in the District of Columbia, have Street-Sweepers, of which the following is a My invention relates to certain-new and useful improvements in street-cleaners. The apparatus at present in most general use consist of rotary brushes driven by suitable gearing with the carrying-wheels, which brushes sweep thedirt into ridges, which are subseand then shoveled into carts by a separate corps of laborers. In the use of this class of ling-carts'in advance of the sweepers, in order to decrease the possibilities of stirring up dust by the rotary action of the brooms or brushes. It has been found from experience very difficult to regulate the quantity of water to be sprinkled, because too 4much water induces to to prevent the making of dust. The use of the sprinkler also necessitates the employvolving additional expense. These difficulties have been sought to be overcome by the employment of exhaust-fans and sprinklers attached to the sweeping mechanism, and hence I am aware that this generic idea is not new with me. I am not, however, aware that any practical device has thus far been producedinvolving the use of a fan to do away with the expense and annoyances attending the use of the ordinary machines employed in' cleaning streets. i

-The object, therefore, of my invention is to duced current of air, will at the same time be practically successful; and with this end in view my invention consists in 'the peculiarities of construction and arrangement hereinafter explained and specically claimed.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention relates may fully `understand the same, I will proceed to describe the the same, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a planor top view of a machine embodying my invention, the dirt-box being removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the dirt-box and `suction pipe or conduit in` section, and Fig. 3 is :a modified.

form or'arrangement of the air pipes or conduits with the revolving brushes. Fig. 4. is a section on line m x of Fig. l, looking forward, and `showing the manner of gearing the driving-shaft with the front axle. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the brush-driving gearing.

Similar letters indicate like parts in the several iigures.

\ A A represent the ordinary carrying or supporting wheels, upon the axles of which is mounted a suitable frame, B, thus forming a running-gear, `to which is attached a pole or tongue, C, and on which is erected a drivers seat, D. u

E E are cylindrical or cone-shaped brushes, hung in any well-known manner underneath the frame of the machine, and adapted to be `'mechanically raised or lowered, and involving,

also, the well-known principle of automatically adapting themselves to theundulations of the street. These brushes are arranged oblique to the line of draft of the machine, as most clearly shown at Fig. '1, and are driven 'by the rear axle of the machine through the medium of a double crown-gear on the rear axle and cone-pinions on the inner ends` of the broom-shafts, in the manner shown or in any other suitable manner. The inner ends of the brooms E are so arranged relatively to each other that the dirt swept by said brooms will beforced into a ridge between the inner ends thereof. On the top, or in any suitable localf ity on the frame B, is arranged a fan-case, F,`

within which is secured a revolving fan,which is driven from the front axle of the runninggear by means of a system of gears or pulleys and chain belts, as clearly indicated in the drawings. The eye of the fau is connected by means of a pipe or trunk, WG, with the dirtchest H, in which may be formed a series of dead-air chambers, I, for the obvious purpose of controlling the deposit of `the dirt. Gon-- nected with said dirt-chest are one or more IOO ' suction-tubes, J, which are connected to gravity-nozzles K by iiexible sections L. The nozzles ornozzle Iare so arranged relatively to the brushes E that their path of travel with the machine shall be in line with the ridges of dirt formed or Aswept tto the center by the brushes. M M are pipes extending from the periphery \\of the fan-case F, and terminating adjacent to the nozzle K, andthey are so arranged relatively thereto as to induce toa return-current, as indicated by the arrows at Figs. l and 3, thus not only providing for a continuous current, but also utilizing the slight'blast through the pipes M, to concentrate and direct the accumulated dirt and dust toward the nozzle K and within the influence of the suction. rIhe ieXible connection made by the sections L permits the nozzles I( to follow any inequalities in the surfaceof the street or to avoid any rigid or weighty obstruction which they might happen to come in contact with.

Thenozzles `K are provided with suitable carrying wheels or casters, N, which may or may not be adj ustably connected therewith in order to support the nozzles at any predeter- V mined distance from the street-surface, and at the same time avoid allunnecessary wear and` friction.

At Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown the air-tubes as arranged back of the brushes; but at Fig. 3 I have shown a modification involving the arrangement of said tube in front of the brushes, so that the latter would have the tendency to sweep the dirt into the mouth of the tube L. This arrangement also enablesthe tubes, under certain conditions, to more readily avoid obstructions in the street, as they will slide or ride over any such obstructions.

N N represent horizontally-rotating brushes arranged at the outer ends of the brushes or brooms E E. These brushes N are connected to vertical shafts 0, which are driven through the medium of beveled pinions a b on the respective broom-shafts, and any desired means may be employed to give ileXibili-ty to the movement of the brushes N. rIhese latter brushes are designed. to sweep the dirt from the curb toward and within the influence of the larger brushes E. The dirt-chest II is of course secured to the frame ofthe machine by means of posts or other connections, PI), and, as will be observed, its bottom is inclined rearward, with an oblique gate or door,Q, so that 'in order to remove the accumulated dirt, a

cart may be backed up under the rear end of the chest H, and thegate Q being opened, the dirt will fall by gravity into said cart. If desirable, a water-spraying ring orpipe, R, may be arranged near the point where the tube G connects with the chest, and a iine spray from a suitable tank may be employed to moisten 'v the air at said point and assist in the gravita- 'tion of fine particles of dirt which might escape from the dead-air chambers.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a machine for cleaning streets, the

combination, with the frame and 'carrying `through the inlet-tube and deposit it in th dirt-chest, substantially as described. f Y 2. In combination with the frame, carryingwheels, dirt-chest, and exhaust-fan, arranged as described, andthe conduit-tube, the blasts tubes M M, arranged each side of the conduittube, the blast from which directs and assists the dirt in the movement toward and up the conduit-tube, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with the revolving brooms E, the end brushes, N, mounted on vertical shafts gea-redV with the shafts ofthe brooms E, whereby the dirt near the curb is swept into the path of the brooms E, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Y 4. The inlet-tube having a ileXible section, L, and metallic nozzle K, provided with wheels whereby the said nozzle is kept a uniform. distance from the surface of the street, and injury. to the nozzle from contact with obstructions avoided, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing' witnesses.

JAMES I. HERRON.

XVitnesses:

F. L. BRowNE, y CURTIs LAMMOND.

ICO 

